


When I meet the enemy

by toothiastrid



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-24
Updated: 2015-07-28
Packaged: 2018-04-11 00:33:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 6,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4413998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toothiastrid/pseuds/toothiastrid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura is an ordinary mermaid, whereas Carmilla is a siren princess. Both underwater species are enemies, but when Laura crosses the borders out of curiosity and meets Carmilla, they slowly begin to realise that not everyone is as they seem. However, Laura is in danger of being fed to the siren queen, Carmilla's mother, who is actually a sea witch, and when Carmilla kidnaps her and she becomes a sacrifice-to-be, Laura prepares for the worst.<br/>Meanwhile, Laura's father is worked up about his daughter going missing, and calls on Laura's friends for help to get her out of the siren borders.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Strong, silent. Black hair, deep brown eyes, a piercing stare, with a black tail that was more like an orca's than that of merfolk. Nothing covering her breasts except a necklace, made from the teeth of dead sailors. Atop her head was a tiara made of bones, adorned with seaweed and shark teeth.

 

That was the first thing Laura Hollis saw when she crossed the ocean borders. She was terrified, but fascinated. This creature was deadly, but beautiful. A strange kind of beautiful. She suddenly felt childish, with a purple bra, and a shimmering blue and silver tail. She played with her mother's necklace in an attempt to calm herself down. It had become a habit, ever since her mother...

 

She pushed that thought to the back of her mind, instead focusing on the creature before her, who raised an eyebrow. "What's that you got there, cutie?"

Laura froze. _What did she just call me?_ she thought. "My mother's necklace."

Then, she saw a kind of sadness in the other girl's eyes. Had her mother died too? Could sirens even feel sad?

She glanced down, then looked back up. "Oh no, my mother's uh...dead." Laura couldn't stop the tears welling up in her eyes, remembering the incident. Why had she said that? She knew it would only make her cry, and that was not what she needed right now. 

The siren frowned. "Are you...crying?"

"No, no." Laura quickly turned away, wiping her eyes. 

"Yes you were."

Laura clenched her fists and spun round to face her. "You looked sad, so I thought I'd reassure you."

The girl's eyes flared with anger. Laura immediately regretted what she'd said. 

"Sad?" She barked out a laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "You actually think we're emotional?"

"No, I-"

"Well, you're not very smart, are you? I always heard mermaids were." 

"They are, but maybe I'm not as smart as them, OK?! So, just...leave me alone!" 

Laura was shaking, watching her outburst sink into the girl. 

Suddenly, she was grabbed and slammed against a rock, hands on her throat. Laura gasped for breath, struggling, but secretly silently marvelling at how strong this siren was. 

"So you're saying sirens aren't smart?" she snarled. "No, no! I..." she felt faint; the blood was rushing to her head all at once. "You guys are dangerous, which means you're smart, because of your tactics!" she managed to get out. The siren cocked her head to one side before letting go of Laura's throat. The mermaid fell, holding it, coughing badly. She heard a chuckle. 

"Huh. Maybe you're not so stupid after all."

Laura got up and quickly swam away, fearful. She heard a laugh, which became fainter as she swam further into the mermaid kingdom. 

 

When she got to her cave, she was alone. She swam up to her bedroom and burst into tears, sinking into her pillow. 

For what it was worth, it would probably be smart for her not cross the borders again. 


	2. Chapter 2

he next day was a school day. Laura was grateful for that. 

She met with Perry, Lafontaine and Danny, her friends. They were all talking about what happened at the weekend. When Laura was asked, she lied and said she and her dad baked a cake. 

(What could she say, 'Oh, I met a beautiful siren, but she was creepy as hell, and even though I'm not supposed to cross the borders I did anyway'?)

Then, the bell rung, and they all swam to class. 

Their teacher explained to them that they were going on a school trip. 

"We're going to the borders," he said. "We'll only be a few feet away, at a time when the sirens won't be out and about. We'll be looking for this plant." He handed the class a photo, one for each student. Laura looked at her copy. She remembered all too well what happened yesterday, and that type of plant had been there when the siren had attacked her. She felt a dread build up in the pit of her stomach. 

This was going to be one long trip. 

 

_

 

"Oh gosh Laura. Are you sure it's safe?"

"Yes dad," she laughed. "I'll be with the school."

"Uh, alright." He scratched the back of his head, then sighed sadly. Laura nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know dad. I know." 

He hugged her and she hugged back, then pulled away. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" She rubbed his back gently before going to her room. 

She fell asleep, thinking about the siren she'd encountered only yesterday.

_

 

Perry and Lafontaine were talking. Laura immediately noticed Perry twirling her hair, and Lafontaine laughing, but at the same time looking into her eyes. She decided to leave them to it. 

Going over to Danny, who waved. 

"How was the dolphin race?"

"Good, yeah. We won!"

"Oh, that's wonderful! Well done!" Laura said happily. 

"Thanks," Danny smiled

"Alright!" The teacher called. "Off we go!"

 

They rode dolphins, grinning and laughing as they swooped and twirled through the ocean, whistling to one another. 

When they got there, though, Laura's dolphin began to get tense. She frowned, wondering why it was slowing down. "Hey, there's nothing to worry about."

That was when she heard it. 

 

_Laura._

 

She froze, processing the voice. It belonged to the siren she met two days ago.

"Laura!"

"W-what?" She looked around, confused. Lafontaine was suddenly in front of her. "You OK?"

"Yeah, fine."

"Alright. Come on."

The class looked around, trying to find the plant. Laura tried to search, but her mind was only on one thing: the siren. She groaned in frustration, trying to get the image of the beautiful creature out of her mind. 

"Laura, are you alright?" the teacher was frowning, looking at her.

"Oh yeah, yeah, completely. It's just so hard to find this plant.

He chuckled. "I thought you didn't like plant psychology."

"I may have had a change of heart," Laura said, still searching. Her eyes landed on the rock. She gulped, remembering the event that had taken place there. "Found it!" 

"Let's see," Lafontaine said. "Wow. That's pretty good. That's feral seaweed. It's only found in the siren borders. It survives under murky waters."

"You just love science, don't you?" Perry smiled. 

"Indeed," Lafontaine grinned back. 

 

_Laura._

 

Laura winced at her name being called in that tone. She gulped again, trying to shake it off. 

She decided, getting back on her dolphin, that she'd visit the borders again on Saturday, but for now, she'd go back home and tell dad everything that happened, and hopefully, that stupid whispering would go away. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey."

Laura whispered it, trying to get her attention. "Hey," she whispered, more insistent. Where was she? Maybe it was a one-off. She sighed. 

"Cupcake, you don't have to whisper."

Laura squinted, and saw the sam siren as before. "Oh, hey. Look, I wanted to ask-mmph!"

The siren wrapped an arm around her waist and put a hand over her mouth. Laura was dragged into the murky depths. 

She struggled, trying to get away, but the siren was stronger, pulling her closer. Laura's nose and mouth were suddenly covered in a cloth, and she had no choice but to breathe the chemical in. Everything swam and she began to feel faint. Then, she blacked out. 

 

_

 

Laura woke up. She was tied to a rickety chair, her hands and tail tied with chains. She tried to escape, but the metal didn't give. 

"Well, look who's awake."

She immediately recognised the voice and struggled more when the siren came into view. "Come on, this is stupid. Please let me go!" She cursed herself mentally for sounding so weak. 

"An attempt to get me to untie you is unnecessary. I will..."

Laura gasped. "Oh thank you!"

"...when we sacrifice you."

The mermaid froze for a moment, looking at the siren, who now swam until she was in front of her. In a vain attempt to attack her, Laura screamed, "monster!" and tried to tilt the chair forward. The siren only smirked at her actions, chuckling a little. "The name of this 'monster' is Carmilla."

Laura was unable to respond. Her body shook, tears streaming down her face. "W-why do you want me?"

"Well," Carmilla said, beginning to circle her. "You're so -" she stopped at her ear - "innocent. Beautiful. _Pure_."

Her seductive tone of voice sent shivers down Laura's spine. Carmilla grinned at her reaction. "You're scared. I like it." 

"S-stop it!" Laura screamed, lunging towards her. This time the chair did tilt forward, and before Carmilla could react, it fell on top of her. She glared into Laura's soft brown eyes. 

"You want to be freed? Fine." Suddenly, the chains snapped and the chair went flying backwards into a wall. Laura scrambled off the siren and made for the door, trying to force it open. On the third try, she felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her back. "No! Please...please..." she sobbed, but she knew that Carmilla was far from giving in. 

"Ssh." The siren spun her round to face her and placed a finger on Laura's lips. Laura gulped, her sobs subsiding as the finger travelled downwards to her bra before Carmilla took her hand away. The siren smiled, sitting on the floor. She pulled Laura onto her lap. "Lie down," she ordered. 

"W-why-"

Carmilla did the same action as before, though this time, her finger threatened to pull down Laura's bra. Fearful, Laura nodded, her head on Carmilla's lap. The siren began to sing, her voice resonating around the room.

"Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green. When I am King, dilly dilly, you shall be Queen. Who told you so, dilly dilly, who told you so? Twas my own heart, dilly dilly, that told me so."

Carmilla knew that Laura was now under her spell. She smirked evilly, watching Laura close her eyes. Then, she murmured, "stay with me," and stroked her hair, watching her fall asleep. 

 

The siren didn't mean it, of course. Laura was just another sacrifice in her eyes, and her mother probably couldn't wait to be fed a mermaid. She remembered the first mermaid she fed to the siren queen of her mother. She was harder to manipulate. Having a mermaid her own age was easier. She chuckled quietly, remembering the sounds of the victim's screams. She quickly got up and carried Laura to the dungeon, putting her gently in a cell before locking the door and throwing away the key. The siren then retired to her chambers, suddenly feeling tired. She lay her head down and fell asleep, her dreams filled with memories of her childhood.


	4. Chapter 4

When she didn't come back, Mark knew. He ran a hand through his hair, breath shaky. She had told him about the whispering, but he'd only regarded it as her hearing things. Now, he knew too late what was going on under his nose. He knew he couldn't inform the police. They were good, sure, but they were also biased, and starting a war based on his missing girl was not the best idea, but he needed to do something, and quick. Mark saw the answer. Lafontaine, Laura's friend, was swimming past his cave. He darted out. "Laf, I need to talk to you."

They looked at him. "What's wrong Mark?"

He told them and their eyes widened. "She would never!"

"She did, and now...now..." Mark was in no state to carry on; he was shaking too much. Laf led him inside his own cave and sat him down. "Alright," they told him. "You sit there and I'll make you something."

Mark could only nod. He only hoped Laura was safe. 

 

_

 

Laura groaned, waking up. The first thing that hit her was the smell. Rotting vegetation. She frowned and sat up, the taste of sea salt on her tongue. She saw the bars and swam towards them, held them tightly. 

"You have got to be kidding me," she muttered to herself. Of course. How could she not have seen this coming? She sighed, retreating to the stone slab of a bed. She sat down, trying to think. Suddenly, a light shined and she covered her eyes. The whoosh of a tail. A confusing, but vaguely regretful tone.

"Hey cupcake." 

Laura looked up. Immediately she swam forward, trying to get at her. "I thought we were on good terms!"

Carmilla's eyes turned hard. "Nope." She smirked, watching the mermaid frantically trying to pull off the bars. "Oh please," she laughed. "Mermaids aren't as strong as sirens."

"You...believe that?" Laura asked in between poor attempts to escape. 

"It isn't a belief, cutie." Carmilla leaned close, so close Laura could pick out details of her face.

"It's a fact." 

Laura froze, watching as Carmilla swam backwards. The siren grinned, seeing Laura pause before giving up. 

"See? What did I tell you?"

The mermaid just sighed, looking down. She picked at her tail. "My dad's gonna be so worried."

Carmilla chuckled, amused. "Well, I'll just tell him he'll have to wait a long while."

"No, don't!" 

Laura was at the bars again, clutching them, looking at Carmilla with wide eyes. The siren raised an eyebrow. "You actually believed that? Wow, mermaids really are naive," she muttered to herself. 

Laura relaxed. "So you're not going to?"

"Cupcake, if I did, I'd be kidnapped and held for ransom, you know that."

Apparently Laura didn't, because she frowned. "They don't have guards at the borders. They think no one goes there."

"Yes, but if I go further, then they'll threaten the Siren Queen."

"Why? Why would they hold you at ransom?"

"Oh my gosh," Carmilla muttered. "Mermaids really are stupid."

"No they're not! They're smart-"

"Then prove it!" she roared.

Laura gulped when she saw the siren's razor sharp teeth. "Alright! Um...uh..."

"Laura. Please tell me you get good grades or whatever the hell they're called."

But Laura wasn't listening, because it had dawned on her. "Oh my gosh. You're a...princess! The siren princess!"

"Thank you!" Carmilla exclaimed, throwing her head back before she looked at Laura again. "Jesus, it took you that long?"

"I told you, I'm not as smart as the other mermaids." Laura sulked, crossing her arms and turning away. Carmilla found this funny, chuckling. "I don't believe that for a minute."

Laura spun round. "But you just said that mermaids are stupid."

"Yeah, well, I lied."

Laura looked at Carmilla. "You're not like most sirens."

"Most sirens aren't terrifying monsters who suck out the souls of sailors."

Before Laura could respond, the siren swam off, closing the rusted steel door behind her, leaving Laura in the darkness once again.


	5. Chapter 5

Lafontaine and Mark, with the addition of Danny and Perry, were sitting down in Mark's kitchen. They were all figuring out a way to save Laura. 

"We could get the dolphins to go in," Mark shrugged.

"With no one to supervise? They wouldn't stand a chance," Lafontaine said, shaking their head. 

"Well then, what do we do?" 

Everyone looked at Danny, who put her hands up in defence. "I'm all out of ideas."

"Let's think about this logically," Perry said. "Sirens don't kill their own kind, do they?"

"No..."

"So...oh my. This is going to sound stupid," Perry sighed. "Just say it!" Danny exclaimed, earning a death glare from Lafontaine. 

"Camouflage?"

Mark leaned back in his chair. "That's actually a good idea."

"Actually, sirens are female. As far as I know, no males exist."

"Oh." Mark's shoulders slumped. 

This was going to take a long time. 

 

_

 

Laura stared into space, not focusing on anything. She'd given up, and Carmilla seemed like she wasn't intent on releasing her. 

She suddenly heard raspy voices, and sat up straight, looking through the bars. She saw two eels talking. "Come on, she's gonna love it."

"Dude, she's gonna get scared."

She froze, but the smell of food was irresistible. She swam to the bars as they stopped at her cell, swinging open the door. 

"Hey." One of them pushed the food into the cell. Laura sat down. She looked at the door, then the eels. They were poised, ready to attack.

 

Laura decided to take her chance and she made for the door. The eels swam fast, grabbing her and pushing her to the ground. They pinned her down. "Let me go!" Laura said, struggling. 

"Carm! Carm!" they shouted simultaneously. In a flash, Carmilla appeared. "What is it?"

"Carm, she-"

"DON'T call me that," the siren said. The eels gulped. One of them continued. "She was trying to escape." 

Laura looked up at Carmilla. 

One eel's tail stroked her side. She flinched and let out a squeal. 

Carmilla raised an eyebrow, looking down at the mermaid. "You're ticklish?"

Laura shook her head quickly. "N-no...eek!"

The second eel chuckled. Carmilla smirked, leaning against the wall. She looked at Laura, who was laughing. After a few minutes, Laura managed to stop. She scrambled to her food and ate it quickly before sitting down. The eels cleared up Laura's plate before swimming away, leaving the siren and the mermaid alone. Out of nowhere, Laura suddenly blurted, "why do you kill sailors?"

Carmilla glared. "I told you, we don't do that. Well, most of us don't anyway."

"You're a siren princess, surely you'd-"

"Nope."

"But if-"

"Nope."

Laura shut up, eyeing the door. Carmilla saw her looking and said, "don't even think about it."

The mermaid got up, but suddenly she was against the wall, Carmilla looking down at her. 

"I said don't."

"I-I wasn't going to try and escape! I wanted to see if you were ticklish."

"I don't believe that for a minute."

Laura visibly gulped. Not wanting any more trouble, she made for her bed. Carmilla, thinking Laura was going to the door, tried to pull her back, but when she saw the mermaid's tail going back and forth while she sat on her bed, she relaxed. The siren swam out of the cell, locking the door. Laura groaned, flipping onto the stone slab. She pulled the covers over her and sighed, looking up at the ceiling. 

Looks like they still weren't on good terms.

 


	6. Chapter 6

When he had literally no imagination left, Mark threw his hands up in the air. "I give up!" he exclaimed. "How do we get ideas if we haven't the faintest clue what to look for?"

"Aha!"

"What? Do you have an idea?" Mark asked hopefully, looking up at Lafontaine. "No, but I know someone who might."

 

When they all got to the shore, Lafontaine called, "Hey JP! We need help!"

In the distance, Mark could just make out a figure back-flipping on the rocks towards them. When the figure landed, Mark saw that it was a he. The boy was about 16. He was black. He wore blue leggings, and his feet were webbed. When he saw Lafontaine, he grinned. Mark noticed he had a gold tooth. 

"Hey dude. What's up?"

They brofisted before Lafontaine explained the situation. By the time they wee finished, JP was staring at them with wide eyes. "You're joking right? Sirens?" "Nope. Real as the oceans, dude."

"Oh hell. Alright. Well, if you all gather round, and I'll tell you what we'll do."

And so began the longest lecture that Mark had ever experienced in his life. 

 

_

 

_Carmilla locked the door. Laura gulped. "You do know you're still in here right?"_

_"Oh, I know that." Carmilla's eyes were filled with lust. Laura was suddenly pushed against a wall. Cold lips met warm and there was so much passion. Laura's eyelids fluttered closed, letting herself get taken into a world of wonder. A dark world of wonder._

 

Laura woke up, eyes wide. Had she just...?

Her eyes darted around the cell, frantic. Had Carmilla seen?

'No, silly, of course not. Sirens can't see dreams,' she thought to herself. 'I don't think they even can dream.'

Then, she heard the swoosh of a tail. She sat up and saw Carmilla opening the door. She frowned. "Uh, what are you doing here?" 

"You alright?" 

Laura gulped. "Yeah, fine."

Carmilla raised an eyebrow. "You're sweating. And shaking."

"No I'm n-" Laura stopped herself. She was doing exactly that. 

"Here."

The siren put a blanket around her shoulders. Surprised, Laura smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem cutie." 

"Can you please stop calling me that?"

"Hmm...let me think...no." Instead of lashing out, Laura just giggled, her smile widening. 

Carmilla couldn't help but notice how pretty she was, but she stopped herself. 

_No. Mermaids are the enemy. She's just a sacrifice, nothing more._

"Carmilla? Are you OK?"

Realising she had been staring at Laura, the siren shook her head quickly. "Yeah, yeah, fine." She looked up suddenly, as if sensing something. "I need to go."

"Alright. Uh...bye."

Carmilla was already out the door when Laura said that. She sighed, looking down at the ground. She fiddled with her mother's necklace. Maybe things would get better. 

 

_

 

"Carmilla."

"You called, mother?"

Her mother turned round to face her. She was tall, had a wavy black-haired bob, and deep brown eyes. She had an orca's tail, which was black, like her daughter's. On her head balanced a crown made entirely of bones.

Jewels stolen from oysters were intertwined with the bones. This crown never failed to amaze Carmilla, and she almost didn't believe that one day, she would be wearing it. 

Almost. 

"Yes. I was wondering...is the sacrifice good?"

"Fine, mother. She's just shaken up."

"Hmm. Well, mermaids do have an emotional state. Perhaps you could check on her again?"

"Yes, mother," Carmilla said. She was confused; her mother had already sent her to check on Laura. Why did she have to do it again? 

The princess dismissed the thought, however, and bid the Queen goodbye before she exited, leaving for the dungeon. 


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you sure about this?"

"Toally," JP said, leaning against the rocks. "After all, he's the best one around here."

"Alright." Perry was still uneasy about this 'dolphin whisperer' though. In an attempt to calm her nerves, she asked, "do sirens actually carry out sacrifices?"

"It's a rumour, but no one knows if it's true," Danny said. 

"Well," Mark pushed himself off the rocks, "my daughter has gone missing for more than a day now. She may as well be one."

"Aw come on Mark. Don't be like that," Lafontaine said, rubbing his back. "She'll be safe, don't you worry."

Danny suddenly said, "look!" and Mark spun round. A guy was riding on a dolphin. When he stopped, he got off the dolphin, whispering to it before it nodded enthusiastically and dived off. He looked at the group. "Hey, how can I help..." he trailed off, looking at Danny. The sun was shining on her, illuminating her face and making her tail sparkle. The young mermaid shook his head quickly. JP smirked before going all serious again. "So, yeah. This guy's daughter's been kidnapped." He jerked his thumb at Mark, who just nodded.

"OK, so...have any angler fish?"

"Angler...dude, we're not sirens," Lafontaine said. 

"OK, sorry," the guy put his hands up in defence. "I didn't know you were on your period."

Lafontaine bristled in anger.

"Hey, hey, whoa." JP stepped in front of them, facing Kirsch. "They're non binary, OK? Also, that's sexist."

"Oh shit. Sorry," Kirsch said. They calmed down, sighing.

"It's alright. It's just...it's hard keeping this to myself.'

"I can imagine," Kirsch said. 

"So...angler fish huh?" Mark asked, to lower the tension. 

"Yeah, yeah," Kirsch said, snapping back into rescue mode. 

"We could send in sharks instead," Danny suggested. 

"Why would a pretty girl like you ride a ferocious monster?" Kirsch asked, smirking a little. Danny narrowed her eyes. "Don't even try to flirt with me, you bastard."

And in that moment, Mark knew a rivalry had began. He sighed. He hoped to the skies, to the deepest of the waters and to the tallest of the trees that Laura wasn't dead. 

 

_

 

Laura was asleep when Carmilla swam into her cell. Her soft brown hair framed her face, making her look even more beautiful. The siren's breath hitched, but she told herself to shut up. She was the enemy, a mermaid! Why was she feeling like this? 

Soon enough though, she shook it off when Laura woke up. 

"Hey. I got you something to eat."

"Oh good. I'm hungry."

Carmilla just smiled slightly as she gave Laura the plate, watching her eat the food. When the mermaid had finished, Carmilla made the plate vanish. 

"Thanks," Laura smiled. Carmilla smiled back, leaning against the wall. 

"What's it like? Being a mermaid?"

"Well, it's good, I guess. You get to ride dolphins. And go to school."

"We're home schooled."

"Fancy," Laura said, and Carmilla laughed. She then saw Laura looking at her expectantly. She frowned, then realised. She pushed herself off the wall.

"You do know I'm not going to release you right?"

"Yeah," Laura sighed. "I know that."

"So why are you looking at me like you want me to?"

"I'm not."  _Please don't go down this road,_ Laura thought. 

"Bullshit."

Laura frowned. "You swore. I thought sirens didn't."

"Well guess what. They do, cupcake," Carmilla said, more or less snarling the last word.

"Alright. Well, why am I not being released?"

"You're a sacrifice. You're nothing to us."

Tears welled up in Laura's eyes. Determined to not let Carmilla see this, she clenched her fists. 

"I don't believe that."

Carmilla stared at her. "Oh my God, you think I'm lying don't you?" She started to advance on the mermaid. Laura's eyes widened when Carmilla bared her teeth. She had no time to escape, because she was suddenly blocked by the siren, who was looming over her.

"Look, I don't think you're lying, OK? But-" 

Laura cut herself off when Carmilla's fangs began to near her neck. 

"You know, I could just suck out your soul right now."

The mermaid gulped, terrified. Her heart pounded in her chest as the siren closed in on a certain spot. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion.

Then, suddenly, it was all too fast. The one moment Carmilla seemed to realise what she was doing, the next she was gone. 

Heart in her throat, Laura slid down the wall and, for once finding no consolation in her mother's necklace, began to cry bitterly. She knew now that she was far from being released.


	8. Chapter 8

After a few minutes of Kirsch attempting to flirt, Danny glaring and JP telling them both to 'shut the fuck up' and 'go and bicker when someone isn't going to be a sacrifice', the group dived into the ocean and Kirsch called the angler fish. The fish swam towards them. Perry's heart leapt into her throat and she screamed. Lafontaine hugged her. Shakily, she hugged back. 

"Whoa, chill out! Nothing to be worried about."

"O-OK," Perry said. Her face had lost all colour though, but it slowly returned when a baby angler came out from behind its mother's back. Perry petted it and, surprisingly, it nuzzled her. Lafontaine smiled, watching her bond with it. Perry was their life, and to see her petting one of the most dangerous creatures in the seas made their heart soar, knowing they were in a relationship with her. They tried to bond, and the little fish responded in the same way. 

Kirsch saw Danny trying to get to grips with the deep sea creature. He chuckled, swimming over. "Just smile and do this." He did a few gestures and soon, the fish was tamed. Danny stared at him in shock. "How'd you do that?"

"It's a secret," he said, tapping his nose before swimming off to 'whisper' to another angler fish. Danny sighed. This was going to be hard. 

 

_

 

Carmilla sat down on her bed, thinking about what she'd just done to Laura. What was she thinking? Was Laura alright? How come she'd gotten angry at her over a stupid thing?

The siren sighed, wiping her face with her hand before getting up. She wanted to visit her sister, Maddie. Maybe that would help to clear her head. 

As she swam down the hallway towards her sister's room, she noticed it was eerily silent. Maddie was usually singing along to music loudly (and badly), or playing the skull drums. But there was no noise at the moment. This unnerved Carmilla, and when she approached Maddie's bedroom door and knocked, there was no answer. Frowning, Carmilla threw the door open. Maddie was absent. Her brows furrowed further when she saw a note. She picked it up, reading it aloud to herself.

"'Hey, just gone hunting. I'll be back soon Carm. 

Maddie :)'. Hunting huh?"

Carmilla knew what she meant by 'hunting'. Killing sailors and stealing their souls. With a sigh, she threw the note on the floor and swam out. She failed to notice the writing on the other side, scribbled in blood. 

**_I'm coming to get you._ **

 


	9. Chapter 9

JP got onto his angler fish, strapping himself into the saddle. "Alright. Where is she?"

Kirsch leaned down to his angler fish's mouth before coming back up. He pointed. "Deep into the siren borders, turn right."

"Isn't that where the siren castle is?" Danny asked.

Everyone looked at her. She blushed slightly. "Well, isn't it?" 

"Yes, yes it is! Let's go!" Kirsch set off. The others followed on. 

Occasionally, Kirsch would look at Danny. The gorgeous redhead seemed to shrink under Kirsch's intense stare, blushing slightly whenever she caught him looking, but she'd always roll her eyes to hide her blush. 

Meanwhile, Lafonatine and Perry were focusing on the blue ahead, but sometimes, Lafonatine would move their angler fish closer to Perry's, just to hold her hand.

They knew that as long as she was by their side, they'd be safe. 

 

_

 

Carmilla felt like a piece of shit right now. There was a knot in her stomach that got tighter and tighter as she swam forward. It hurt so much that she leant against a wall for a minute, to will the pain to go away. Eventually, it did. 

The siren shook her head quickly before making her way to the dungeon. She swung open the door. 

 

_

 

Laura was now just staring into space, thinking about what had happened. Would Carmilla forgive her? She doubted it. But then again, she had overreacted. The mermaid sighed. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a door being unlocked. She looked up. Carmilla was, as usual, blocking the door.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," Carmilla said. "I overreacted, and it was completely out of place."

"I'm sorry for thinking you lied," Laura said. "Of course you didn't. And...yeah. I shouldn't have done that to you."

 _You do a lot of things to me,_ Carmilla thought, looking at the mermaid. 

Laura smiled gently at her. "So...uh...truce?" She held out her hand. 

"Truce. But in the siren kingdom cutie, we don't shake hands. We more... want of a better word...flirt."

(She's lying. Of course the sirens shake hands; it would be deemed strange if you flirted with another one.)

Laura took her hand back, surprised. "You flirt?"

"Well, yes." Carmilla leaned her hand against the wall, blocking her. Laura gulped. "And how do you flirt?"

Carmilla raised an eyebrow. "You've never flirted with someone?"

"N-No..." Laura looked down, blushing deeply. 

"Huh. A pretty girl like you must have had a flirt or two," Carmilla smirked. Laura giggled.

"You're flirting with me now aren't you?"

"Oh my gosh, you got it correct!" Carmilla said, feigning shock. They both looked at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing. Laura leant into Carmilla in an attempt to calm herself down. Carmilla wasn't aware that her hands were on Laura's waist, trying to stop herself. When they both eventually ceased laughing, they realised their positions. Blushing, both mermaid and siren pushed each other away. 

Carmilla scratched her head, looking at Laura.

"So, yeah. Flirting is the way to go."

(No it isn't.)

"Uh...truce?"

"Yeah, truce."

The weird thing that happened next: Carmilla shook Laura's hand, then vanished. Laura frowned.

 _Well that was awkward._  


	10. Chapter 10

They all got to the castle. JP, Lafontaine and Kirsch got off their angler fish. Mark was still trying to get his head around the mechanism of dismounting, and ended up falling off his angler fish onto the ocean floor with a squeak. JP laughed. Mark was not amused. 

Perry was shaking, trying to find a 'logical' way to get off the deep sea creature. She opted for asking the angler fish to turn upside down, so she could dismount. She'd already undone the straps. Lafontaine came to the rescue, lifting her off. She thanked them and pecked their lips. They grinned, blushing slightly. 

Danny was literally the same as Perry, except she wasn't shaking. She groaned in annoyance, trying to find a way to dismount. Kirsch chuckled, swimming over to her. "Need some help?"

"No, I um, I'm fine. Fuck."

Kirsch laughed, shaking his head before going behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Startled, Danny jumped before turning to face him. "Are you trying to make a move on me?"

"Nope," Kirsch said, pulling her off. His hands slipped from her waist and suddenly they were very close to each other, looking into each other's eyes. Danny blushed slightly as Kirsch stared into her blues. 

(He knew he was always going to be mesmerised by those eyes.)

Then, Danny quickly turned away, swimming off to join Perry and Lafontaine. After a few moments of realising that he was just stationary, Kirsch followed on, catching up with Mark and JP, who were already in the castle.

"Who are we going to threaten?"

"The siren queen," JP said. "And how do we do that?"

"We find someone."

"Doesn't the queen have two daughters?" Mark asked quietly. 

"Yeah," JP whispered back. That's when they saw a black siren zooming past them, a few feet away. Kirsch looked at the others. "That's one of them, right?"

"Yeah. We'll hold her for ransom, force the Queen to give up Laura."

"Alright. I'll go."

Kirsch placed a hand on JP's shoulder. "Good luck."

"Isn't it 'break a leg'?" JP asked.

"No, it's-" Kirsch stopped talking when JP swam off. "Go get her kid," Mark muttered. 

 

_

 

Maddie sighed. Whoever had scribbled blood on that note...she was afraid of them, she couldn't lie. Anyway. 

She heard the swoosh of a tail. Assuming it was just Carmilla, she carried on, unaware. 

Suddenly, a hand clamped over her mouth and an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back. Maddie struggled, but the kidnapper was obviously stronger. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. As they both turned a corner, Maddie saw Carmilla come out of her room. 

 

_

 

Carmilla saw Maddie struggling. 'Shit,' she thought. "Hey! Give her back!" she zoomed after them, round the corner, but when she did, she was met with two mermen. They held tridents at her. Carmilla knew what tridents did to sirens. Terrified, she backtracked, retreating to the dungeon. She unlocked the door to Laura's cell and shut it, locking it again. She shook Laura, who woke up immediately.

"Carmilla?" She sat up when she saw the siren was shaking. "Carmilla what's wrong?"

"I-I...ambush...sister's been kidnapped...your father..."

"My father's here?! What?"

"He threatened me Laura! With a trident!" 

Laura stared at Carmilla with wide eyes. She hugged her tightly. Carmilla hugged back, still shaking. 

Laura couldn't believe it. Her father had come here, kidnapped Carmilla's sister, tried to kill Carmilla with a trident...had he changed? 

 

The mermaid pushed that thought to the back of her mind, letting Carmilla lean into her chest. She heard the siren's inhuman sobs and her heart broke. She stroked her hair.

"Make me forget this," she heard Carmilla whisper. "Please."

Laura began to sing the one song she knew. Her mother's lullaby. 

"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound..." she trailed off as she watched Carmilla fall asleep. Gently, Laura got off the bed and laid the siren on it, pulling the covers over her. She looked at her before kissing her forehead. 

"Goodnight Carmilla," she whispered. She then sat down next to her. 

Eventually, the mermaid fell asleep, her head resting on Carmilla's tail. 

And she dreamed of her mother.


	11. Chapter 11

When they swam back, Lafontaine and Perry saw Maddie. Their eyes widened. 

"How the fuck did you get her?"

"Saw her swimming, kidnapped her," JP summarised. "Did you find Laura?"

"No," Perry replied, just Danny as arrived, breathless. "I heard Laura's voice, but couldn't find her. There were too many siren guards."

Kirsch nodded, looking at her. "So. We good to go?"

"Yeah," Perry said, but Lafontaine could still see she had a problem. "Hang on a minute." They swam behind a bunch of feral seaweed. 

"It's OK. They're tame."

"I-I...just...I still remember what those...those things did to him."

Lafontaine knew who she was talking about. They looked at her with kind eyes. "Don't worry. Soon he'll remember."

"It might take another year, Laf. They destroyed his memory. He doesn't know us. He doesn't know me. He's forgotten who his own daughter is, acts as if he's never seen me!" Perry sobbed quietly. Lafontaine hugged her. She hugged back before pulling away. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she kissed their cheek. "Thank you. For being here when it's difficult."

"Thank you for keeping my secret," Lafontaine smiled gently. Perry smiled back and they swam out from behind the seaweed. 

"You OK?" Danny asked. Perry nodded. They all mounted their angler fish and set off.

 

_

 

Carmilla woke up. She felt something on her tail. Frowning, she flicked it and she heard a shout. The siren sat up and saw Laura on the floor. 

"Oh gosh! Laura I'm so sorry!"

"It's OK," Laura said, bleary-eyed. She shook her head quickly and smiled at Carmilla. "You OK?"

"Yeah...oh shit. We have to find Maddie. I think they're already gone though."

"Yeah. I'll probably be killed if I go looking. Maybe you could?"

"No. The mermaid guards'll surely kill me."

"Urgh, this is so hard." The mermaid flipped on her back, looking up at Carmilla, who nodded. She suddenly sensed her mother calling for her. "I need to go. Mother's calling for me."

"Oh uh...alright then. Bye," Laura said, getting up and swimming to her bed. Carmilla smiled. "Bye."

She vanished, leaving Laura alone. 

 

_

 

Before Carmilla could greet her mother, she was suddenly shook. 

"Are they here?" Her mother's eyes were frantic. "No, they're not. They took Maddie and threatened me."

"We're going to have to do something to make them pay." She turned to Carmilla. "Get Laura."

"What?"

"Go! Get Laura." She turned away from her daughter, placing her crown on her head, giving Carmilla her tiara. The next thing she said made Carmilla feel like throwing up. 

"It's time to sacrifice her."


	12. Chapter 12

When they got to Mark's cave, JP quickly tied her to a chair. Maddie screeched, "let me go!"

"Not until you tell us where Laura is."

"Laura is...oh. Oh God."

"What? What is it?" Lafontaine asked. 

"Laura she's...she's going to be sacrificed. Like, right now!"

Mark's eyes widened. "But...we'll...we'll never make it in time!"

"Not if I can help it," JP said. 

"Water nymphs are stronger and faster than merfolk. He can get there," Lafontaine said.

"Can you?" Danny asked.

"I will." JP waved to the others before swimming off. Kirsch watched him swim away. Lafontaine was right. JP really was fast. He just hoped they were also correct about him getting there in time. 

Full of tension, everyone waited. 

 

_

 

Fearful, Laura walked up the altar. She looked around. Lots of sirens were staring at her. It was silent. The room was filled with tension. Carmilla was standing at the end of the carpet. She looked like she was going to cry. Her hands were clenched into fists. Laura's heart broke again, looking at Carmilla's facial expression. She looked so remorseful, and Laura guessed the siren was more scared than she herself was. 

She stopped, turned to Carmilla. Then, she heard a different voice, chanting some words in an unfamiliar dialect. Carmilla was sullen, looking at her. Laura felt so vulnerable. She hated it. Then, the same voice, but in English. 

"Hand her over."

Carmilla mouthed 'I'm sorry' before suddenly shoving her. Laura fell to the ground. She felt too weak to get up.

Apparently her falling was part of the plan, because blue flames suddenly surrounded her. The mermaid began to choke. She looked to the altar and noticed Carmilla had vanished. She pushed this probably last thought she'd ever have to the back of her mind. 

Then, she heard a snarl and she looked up. A large mouth opened, revealing razor sharp teeth. She began to cry, hugging herself, playing with her mother's necklace. 

Her eyes widened. She could barely breathe now. She saw her life flash before her eyes. Her mother laughing, smiling. When she died. Her funeral. Getting into high school. When she met Carmilla. Their truce. 

 

And suddenly she was spun round to face Carmilla, who cupped her face and kissed her. Laura kissed back, her eyelids fluttering shut as gasps and snarls were heard around the room. Straight after, Carmilla vanished. 

 Then someone was grabbing Laura's hand and pulling her out of the room, down the ramp and out of the castle. Her vision blurry with tears, Laura was blindly led by this mysterious hero from the siren borders.


End file.
